Recipe of the Week: New York Cheese Pizza

Ok, so it's not exactly New York Pizza because, well, I don't live in New York. New Yorkers have told me that their pizza is so good because the water is so good. :) Anyway, my husband is addicted to New York pizza and compares EVERY pizza he eats with it, with most pizzas falling far short. Imagine my surprise when I accidently created a homemade pizza that he was so excited about that he said it was almost exactly like New York pizza! (A very high praise coming from him) He told me to write it down so I wouldn't forget (haha) and always wants me to make it this way now. So, here's my version of New York cheese pizza!

New York Cheese Pizza

Dough: (From the Betty Crocker Red Cookbook)
2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 tbsp oil
1 cup very warm water (120-130) I use well water, straight from the tap!

On Top:
Jarred Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 an 8oz block of Mozz. cheese, shredded
1/2 an 8 oz block of New York Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 an 8 oz block of Montery Jack cheese, shredded
Grated Parmesean cheese
(Sorry, but these are all approximate, I don't really measure, and we love a TON of cheese, so feel free to change it around)

Instructions: Mix dough ingredients (just 1 c. of the flour) on med. speed for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the flour until it's soft and not sticking to the bowl. (Trust me, this takes a lot of practice, but once you achieve the perfect flour amount once, you'll recognize it after that) Knead 5-8 minutes or until dough is soft and springy. Cover loosely and let rise 30 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal parts.

Here's the New York part. Very, very thin crust. Heat oven to 425 and grease 2 cookie sheets or round pizza pans. I use a rolling pin to get the crust very thin. If it's not stretching well (keeps shrinking back) let it rest 5 to 10 minutes and try again. I usually roll it out as far as it possibly can go. Here's the other trick: don't prebake it like the recipe actually says to. I accidently put toppings on it that day, before prebaking it. I was really upset and my husband told me just to make it anyway. :) Good thing I listened! Spread with plenty of sauce and sprinkle tons of cheese. Now, the recipe says the second baking should be 8-10 minutes. I just watch it pretty closely. I set the timer for 10 minutes and then watch for the cheese to start browning to make sure the crust isn't too underdone. Once again, it's a practice thing that's hard to describe, but once you see it, you'll know. Pull it out, sprinkle with Parmesean cheese and eat it hot!

I plan on playing with the crust recipe to see if I can get it any closer to New York pizza, so if you have any ideas (besides moving to New York for their water) let me know! Go to Life as Mom, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tammy's Kitchen Tips or Tasty Tuesday for other great recipes!